Goodyear smoothie cafe combines old, new ways to advertise

by Eddi Trevizo - Sept. 2, 2010 12:00 AMArizona Business Gazette

The owners of the newly opened Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Goodyear say online and mobile-phone marketing are crucial in the success of their first West Valley location as restaurants compete for customers in a tough economic environment.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe advertised its early-August opening with mobile-phone coupons, direct mail and sign twirlers and through social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

"It's paramount. You have to do many things to market yourself. You have to combine them all," said Scott Palmateer, regional director of operations for Cafe Management Inc. LLC, the franchise group that owns the shop.

Traditional marketing still plays a role, said Sharolyn Hohman, president and CEO of the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce.

"The new Internet-type of tools are not as costly as traditional tools. Not to take advantage of them is not good business," she said. "But the reverse is that you can't just count on that. There are still people that use the Yellow Pages."

Opening a restaurant is one thing, staying in business is another.

According to Tina Daniels, business-registration coordinator for Goodyear, the city last year approved 16 new restaurant licenses, but 11 other restaurants closed.

So far this year, the city has approved 10 new licenses and three eateries have closed.

Although Tropical Smoothie's owners were initially wary of opening a new location during an economic downturn, they have high hopes.

"I live in the Goodyear area. All the neat things are always in the East (Valley) first," Palmateer said. "We're kind of innovative because we have smoothies and food. It's tropical. It's been long overdue."

The Goodyear cafe, near McDowell and Dysart roads, offers a mix of salads, wraps, flatbreads, sandwiches and smoothies.

"We have a lot of people that are interested in the quick, healthy food," Palmateer said. "We're next to the West Valley Hospital, an urgent-care (clinic) and Life Time Fitness. This appeals to that interest."

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a national chain with franchises across the U.S., including five in the East Valley.

Palmateer and his partners own two of the East Valley locations: one in Mesa, on Baseline and Power roads; another in Chandler, on Arizona Avenue and Ocotillo Road.